Our Mission

We are a nonprofit community cafe concept of shared responsibility operated by the Panera Bread Foundation, a Section 501(c)(3) public charity. Panera Cares community cafes are designed to help raise awareness about the very serious and pervasive problem of food insecurity (hunger) in the U.S. Consider this: according to the United States Department of Agriculture, 49 million people – including 16 million children – are food insecure.. That means that 1 in 7 households have difficulty providing enough food for all their members at some time during the year.

These cafes operate on a pay-what-you-can model and depend on your donations and support to ensure our sustainability. Panera Cares cafes provide suggested donation amounts for all menu items to help you understand the cost of “paying it forward” and assisting those who struggle with food insecurity.

The funds collected are used to cover the operating costs of the cafes while also covering the cost of the meals for those who come in and are unable to contribute the suggested donation amount for their meals.